If you are not granted primary custody over your child in your divorce settlement agreement, then the odds are that the New Jersey family court will order you to child support payments. With this, you may be wondering how much you will be expected to pay. Continue reading to learn how child support is calculated in the state of New Jersey and how an experienced Morristown child support lawyer at Graves Andrews, LLC can help you assess this.
How is child support calculated in the state of New Jersey?
Primarily, the New Jersey family court will refer to the New Jersey Child Support Guidelines when making their judgment. These guidelines state that, if you and your former spouse have a combined yearly net income of anywhere between $8,840 to $187,200, then you will have to share the child’s expenses proportionally. With this, the non-custodial parent will give their contribution to the custodial parent.
The reasoning behind this method is that the New Jersey courts believe that a child’s financial support should not have to change just because their parents are no longer together. So, the goal of child support is to keep the child’s life as unaffected by the divorce as possible.
How else is child support determined in the state of New Jersey?
In addition to the mathematical calculations set by the New Jersey Child Support Guidelines, the family court may also look at other outside factors during their deliberations. Examples of other factors that are considered for child support decisions include the following:
- The child custody agreement that was established in your and your spouse’s divorce.
- The other child support obligations that you and your spouse may already have for other children.
- The standard of living that was established for the child while you and your spouse were still married.
- The age and health of the child.
- The child’s educational needs, medical needs, and any special needs.
- The earning capacities of you and your spouse.
- The assets and liabilities of you and your spouse.
- The channels of income of you and your spouse.
- The age and health of you and your spouse.
How can I modify my child support agreement?
Once your child support agreement has been established by the New Jersey family court, you may like for it to be modified if you undergo any significant life changes. Examples of this are if you unwillingly lost your job or if you were diagnosed with a serious medical condition.
With this, you will need to file a petition for a post-judgment modification. For assistance with this filing process, you must retain the services of a skilled Morristown family law attorney today.
